The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to contemplate our action that results from vulnerable and available response to the prompting of the Spirit.
Place of vulnerability
The reading from the Prophet Isaiah describes giving Ahaz the sign of Immanuel.
* [7:14] Isaiah’s sign seeks to reassure Ahaz that he need not fear the invading armies of Syria and Israel in the light of God’s promise to David (2 Sm 7:12–16). The oracle follows a traditional announcement formula by which the birth and sometimes naming of a child is promised to particular individuals (Gn 16:11; Jgs 13:3). The young woman: Hebrew ‘almah designates a young woman of marriageable age without specific reference to virginity. The Septuagint translated the Hebrew term as parthenos, which normally does mean virgin, and this translation underlies Mt 1:23. Emmanuel: the name means “with us is God.” Since for the Christian the incarnation is the ultimate expression of God’s willingness to “be with us,” it is understandable that this text was interpreted to refer to the birth of Christ.1
Psalm 40 is a thanksgiving for Deliverance and a Prayer for Help.
* [Psalm 40] A thanksgiving (Ps 40:2–13) has been combined with a lament (Ps 40:14–17) that appears also in Ps 70. The psalmist describes the rescue in spatial terms—being raised up from the swampy underworld to firm earth where one can praise God (Ps 40:2–4). All who trust God will experience like protection (Ps 40:5–6)! The Psalm stipulates the precise mode of thanksgiving: not animal sacrifice but open and enthusiastic proclamation of the salvation just experienced (Ps 40:7–11). A prayer for protection concludes (Ps 40:12–17).2
The reading from the Letter to the Hebrews, proclaims ‘See, I have come to do your will.’
* [10:1–10] Christian faith now realizes that the Old Testament sacrifices did not effect the spiritual benefits to come but only prefigured them (Heb 10:1). For if the sacrifices had actually effected the forgiveness of sin, there would have been no reason for their constant repetition (Heb 10:2). They were rather a continual reminder of the people’s sins (Heb 10:3). It is not reasonable to suppose that human sins could be removed by the blood of animal sacrifices (Heb 10:4). Christ, therefore, is here shown to understand his mission in terms of Ps 40:5–7, cited according to the Septuagint (Heb 10:5–7). Jesus acknowledged that the Old Testament sacrifices did not remit the sins of the people and so, perceiving the will of God, offered his own body for this purpose (Heb 10:8–10).3
The Gospel of Luke describes the Birth of Jesus foretold to Mary.
* [1:26–38] The announcement to Mary of the birth of Jesus is parallel to the announcement to Zechariah of the birth of John. In both the angel Gabriel appears to the parent who is troubled by the vision (Lk 1:11–12, 26–29) and then told by the angel not to fear (Lk 1:13, 30). After the announcement is made (Lk 1:14–17, 31–33) the parent objects (Lk 1:18, 34) and a sign is given to confirm the announcement (Lk 1:20, 36). The particular focus of the announcement of the birth of Jesus is on his identity as Son of David (Lk 1:32–33) and Son of God (Lk 1:32, 35).4
Rev. Richard Gabuzda suggests that perhaps today, nine months from the feast of Christmas, we might pause to ponder the wonder of Mary, Mother of our God and Lord Jesus.
The wonder that He who is our Lord and Savior is also a Mother’s Son. Perhaps we might allow Mary’s motherly heart to warm us into love and respect for our own human lives and that of all others. And confident in the bond that she shares with her Son, perhaps today there is some special need, some special intention that we want to share with her so that she might share it with her Son.5
Don Schwager quotes “Do you wish to be great?,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Just imagine the incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only Son, but He did not want to remain alone. So that humans might be born of God, God was born of humans. Begotten of God is He through Whom we were created - Born of a woman is He through Whom we are to be re-created. The Word first wished to be born of humans, so that you might be assured of being born of God" (excerpt from Sermon on John 2, 13)6
The Word Among Us Meditation on Luke 1:26-38 comments that once she hears Gabriel’s explanation, Mary responds with an extraordinary act of faith. We too may wonder how God will accomplish what he has promised; we may even question him, as Mary did. But then we need to trust him by making her words our own: “May it be done to me according to your word” (1:38).
Today, on this special feast, let’s ask Mary to intercede for us so that we may remain faithful to our commitments. Although she was without original sin, she certainly knew what it was like to be human, to feel weary, and to be pushed and pulled by temptations. She is our devoted and faithful mother, and she will surely carry our prayers to her son, Jesus. “Mary, pray for me to complete my Lenten journey with renewed zeal.”7
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the dialogue between Ahaz and Isaiah about Immanuel. The life source of animals, blood, symbolized the restoration of life to the people in the Hebrew Testament after sin. Friar Jude positions Mary as the “New Ark of the Covenant” making God visible through her vulnerable availability and service.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, shares some of the “I Have a Dream” speech of one of the most prominent prophets in recent American history, Martin Luther King Jr. The Reverend Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas writes about King’s prophetic vision for racial justice, suggesting that it was made possible by the “moral imagination” he learned through the Black church and faith.
A moral imagination is grounded in the absolute belief that the world can be better. A moral imagination envisions Isaiah’s “new heaven and new earth,” where the “wolf and the lamb shall feed together,” and trusts that it will be made real (Isaiah 65). What is certain, a moral imagination disrupts the notion that the world as it is reflects God’s intentions. . . . [It] is nothing other than the hope of black faith. Such hope trusts that the arc of God’s universe does in fact bend toward justice. [1]8
Our spiritual imagination resonates with the “Yes” of Mary that comes from vulnerability and surrender to the Will of the Father.
References
No comments:
Post a Comment